Mary Ellis Swanson

Mary Ellis Swanson died peacefully at the age of 92 on July 10, 2026, For Mary, it was always “seventy-two degrees and sunny”, as one of her in-laws, Jon Bruneau, said. She was one of those people who felt like she had led a charmed life, and who’s to say she hadn’t? People were drawn to Mary for her smile and positive attitude as well as for her genuine interest in them. She would much rather hear about someone else than talk about herself.

Mary met the love of her life, Bud Swanson, at Beloit College in the 1950s, and they were married for 62 years. They raised two children (Rick and Chris), and were blessed with three grandchildren (Rob Huckins, Hunter Swanson, and Blake Swanson) and two great-grandchildren (Chase and Hailie Huckins).

Mary taught art in the Nashua public schools for over thirty years, and her fellow teachers showed up in force for her 90th birthday celebration two years ago. Like other teachers, she enjoyed and appreciated her peers for who they were and why they did what they did. And teachers really know how to celebrate with each other.

Over the years, Mary produced her own body of artwork that was collected and cherished by family, friends, and art shoppers at exhibits and events such as the Greeley Park art show. She painted landscapes, portraits, people’s homes, and abstracts. Watercolor was her favorite medium and the settings ranged from Maine to Arizona to Arles to Venice and Florence.

Soon after her husband Bud passed away, she moved into an independent living apartment in the Hunt Community, and later the assisted living section of there. Residents and staff at the Hunt enjoyed stopping in her room, where she would likely be sitting in her chair with the day’s Boston Globe in front of her.

Mary grew up in Chicago and North Carolina, and she and Bud lived in Nashua for over forty years. For about seven years they lived in Flagstaff where they were able to spend quality (and quantity) time with their grandchildren. Mary was an active member of the Northern Arizona Watercolor Society (NAWS), and did a good bit of plein air painting around the Redrock country of Sedona.